The Great War Podcast

49: The Big Push

The origins of the Somme before Verdun screwed everything up.

48: "Duggy"

Douglas Haig: The Man vs The Myth

47: Crisis at Verdun

The battle of Verdun reaches its climax.

Map of the battlefield, note its "H" shaped outline.



The ancient Citadel in downtown Verdun. To enlarge, right click-view image.



Monument to Fleury residents who fought at Verdun.


"Remains" of Fleury


Markers indicating where houses and businesses once stood.




The imposing Ossuary.


View from a top the Ossuary, looking southeast towards Fleury. Note the concentrated battlefield: the interpretation center is visible along with the white path leading to the village. The ridge beyond was the German objective of June 23rd.


Fort Douaumont


Douaumont's roof, still heavily cratered.





Yours truly at the entrance.

46: The Fall of Fort Vaux

The warriors of France and Germany engage in an bloody stand off for Fort Vaux.

Postcard commemorating Raynal's final pigeon and subsequent plaque.

45: Dead Man's Hill

The fighting at Verdun intensifies as the Germans seize the crests of Mort Homme and Hill 304.

44: The Guns of Galicia

Under Brusilov's leadership, a resurgent Russian army smashes the Austro-Hungarians; Conrad surrenders to Falkenhayn's oversight.

43: The Bear Blows First

With Tsar Nicholas II in charge of her armed forces, Russia looks to a fresh start; In Galicia, Aleksei Brusilov plans his masterpiece.

*Note: St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd in 1914. I refer to both in the appropriate context. -Dan


Links to Romanov family photos:

Siberian Times, 2013

Mashable

42: Women of War

A review of Verdun and a look at the British home front, which sees radical change under the direction of David Lloyd George and the Ministry of Munitions.

41: The Jutland Controversy

A retrospective look at the battle of Jutland.

40: "Repel all boarders!"

The battle of Jutland rages into the night.

39: Ghosts in the Mist

A decade after Dreadnought revolutionized naval warfare, the battle fleets of Great Britain and Germany finally meet.

EDIT: Since they were armoured cruisers, Arbuthnot was part of First Cruiser Squadron, not First 'Light' Cruiser as incorrectly stated. -Dan

38: The Run to the South

The battle of Jutland begins on the afternoon of May 31st, 1916.

37: The Trident

Reinhardt Scheer assumes command of the German battlefleet, and the war in the North Sea kicks into high gear.

36: Conrad's Folly

Conrad sees red, and attempts to eliminate the Italians with a single blow. At Verdun, the French discover retaking Fort Douaumont will require a bit more planning.

35: A Prison of the Nations

Battered and bloodied, Austria-Hungary limps its way into 1916.

34: Russia From the Ashes

Russia under goes some rapid internal changes.

33: No Success Anywhere

Desperate to capture the Meuse Heights, the German 5th Army extends operations onto the west bank of the Meuse. When things falter, both armies commit more men to "the Mincer".

32: Thunder and Earthquake

The battle at Verdun began on February 21st, 1916. Nothing would ever be the same.

31: The New Way

Falkenhayn begins laying the ground work for the coming battle at Verdun.

30: Character of the Coalition

As 1916 beckons, both the Allies and Central Powers realize they're in for another bloody year.

29: Travelling on a Volcano

In this episode we discuss the sinking of the Cunard liner Lusitania and what it meant for the first unrestricted U-boat campaign.

28: Order, Counter Order, Disorder

To contest the supremacy of the Allied fleets, Germany unleashes the first unrestricted U-Boat campaign in February, 1915.

*Gahh when I say the Russians retreated 500 miles, I mean 500 kilometers of course.  -Dan



SMS Blucher capsizing at the battle of Dogger Bank (January 1915).

27: Puff From a Cigarette

An ambitious Anglo-French attack in Artois and Champagne is met with disaster. At the battles of Loos, the BEF makes use of chlorine gas for the first time.

26: Field of Blackbirds

Serbia is the latest victim of Falkenhayn's combined offensive. The Serbs refuse to surrender, opting to evacuate and continue the fight elsewhere.

25: Sing the Love of Danger

On May 23rd, 1915 an energized but divided Italy enters the Great War. This episode examines why the Italians initially chose neutrality, only to declare war against their former allies.

24: The Great Retreat

A combined Austro-German offensive in May 1915 collapses the Polish Salient, forcing the Russians into a 4 month 310 mile retreat. The war on the Eastern Front is effectively over.

23: No Risk Too Great- Part 2 of 2.

The Dardanelles campaign unravels as the Allies land on the Gallipoli peninsula.

23: No Risk Too Great- Part 1 of 2.

With German efforts concentrated in the East, the Allies begin looking for alternative ways to break the deadlock, leading their focus to fall on the Dardanelles and Gallipoli peninsula.

22: Codename: Disinfection

This week we examine German strategy in 1915, and Falkenhayn's decision to unleash chlorine gas at the Ypres Salient.
 
40 Maps That Explain World War One (Trench map is #26)

21: The Road Ahead

Despite popular theory, the war does not end by Christmas. This week we are on the Western Front for the early goings of 1915.

20: We're All in This Together

Did Europe really cheer the outbreak of war?  An examination of the Western home fronts provides a glimpse into "the spirit of 1914".

19: Numbers are Everything

A look at the larger world at war, and Graf Spee makes his voyage into the history books.

18: Where Loyalties Lay

The final months of 1914 draw to a close on the Eastern Front. The Russians flex their military muscle, while the Austro-Hungarians suffer a defeat which helps doom their army.

17: War of the Eagles

Our first look at events on the Eastern front; The Austrians humiliate themselves against the Serbs. While in East Prussia, the Russians are annihilated at Tannenberg.

16: Massacre of the Innocents

The lines stagnate across the Western theatre.Near the Belgian town of Ypres, German and British troops learn a harsh reality.

Please note: The Asine runs west of Verdun, not east as I state in the episode. -Dan

Map of Western theatre (Sept-Nov 1914) Right click to view in full.



Mass grave at Langemark German Cemetery

15: Those Long August Days

The war on the Western Front opens up, as the German army cruises through Belgium to the gates of Paris. The allies unveil a new secret weapon on the battlefield.

I apologize for the delay this week. I had a heck of a time getting all this stuff sorted out but this is a much better version then I what had originally written. -Dan

Map of the Western Theater, August-September 1914. Note the borders have been modified to to reflect 1914.

14: To Constantinople With Love

Two German battle cruisers escape the pursuit of the Royal Navy and seek refuge at Constantinople. The entry of the Ottoman Empire by November 1914, ensures that fighting would no longer be restricted to the European continent.

13: Into the Abyss: Part 2 of 2.

We conclude our discussion of the July Crisis by looking at events in Britain and offer an answer to why the war broke out.

13: Into the Abyss: Part 1 of 2.

A century after the Napoleonic Wars, the Concert of Europe crumbles in a matter of weeks following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

12: To The Precipice

Before killing off Franz Ferdinand, we take a look at some of the domestic issues effecting the Great Powers on the eve of July 1914.

11: The Balkan Wars

On the heels of the Italian invasion of Libya, a collection of Balkan nations declare war on the Ottoman Empire.

A "very" basic map of the First Balkan War. October 1912-May 1913.

10: A Long Year

In an attempt to establish themselves as a great power, Italy declared war on the Ottomans in September of 1911. The subsequent invasion exposed Italian armed forces as logistically weak and unprepared in the event of a general European war. Watching events from a far, the Balkan states begin to contemplate plans for an attack on the Turks of their own.


Map of Libyan campaign (From the sources which I could piece together)


Zeppelin bombarding Turkish positions near Tobruk (Wikipedia Commons)

09: The Bosnian Crisis

The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarians is another humiliation for Russia, and leaves the Serbs seething toward the Habsburg monarch.

Map of Russian interests.

08: Dreadnoughts and What Nots

With the war in the Far East raging in the background, Germany attempts to drive a wedge between France and its allies, but only succeeds in bringing them closer together.

I know I had stated there would be no episode this week, but unfortunately the long weekend plans fell through. -Dan

Beyond the Foxholes Podcast: http://www.breakthroughassault.co.uk/p/beyond-foxholes-podcast.html

07: Win the War, Lose the Peace

The Russo-Japanese War provides us with a chilling glimpse into the nature of industrial warfare.

06: Opposites Attract Part 2: The Anglo French Cordiale

After nearly coming to blows at Fashoda, the French and English decide to put aside their grievances. In the Far East, Japan and Russia declare war.

05: The End of Isolation

With events in Asia threatening the status quo, Great Britain would find itself in desperate need of an ally.

* I apologize for this episode being behind schedule. We'll be back on track for Monday!*

04: Opposites Attract: The Franco-Russian Alliance

In 1890 Wilhelm II dismissed Bismarck, allowing the French to break out of isolation; the British face a looming crisis in the years after 1894.

03: Woe Unto My Poor Grandchildren

After the formation of Germany, Bismarck's primary concern was finding a place for the Second Reich in Europe; events in the Balkans would drive the Austro-Hungarians into a military alliance by 1879.

02: The Chess Master

The revolts of 1848 paved the way for the formation of Germany under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck. The events surrounding German unification play a major role in the political atmosphere leading up to 1890.

**I have added some introductory music and changed my recording software so I hope you will hear an improvement.